Posted on 01/15/2016 1:15:14 PM PST by Isara
Time Magazine called this the “your mama” response in presidential political debates. Since the entire eligibility issue for Ted Cruz hinges on his mother’s status as a natural-born citizen of the US (thereby making him one despite his birth in Canada), Cruz’ pushback against Trump seems appropriate — if a bit of a reach. Cruz obviously prepared for this moment, and delivered his attack with considerable flair and relish:
Donald Trump Vs. Ted Cruz over Natural Born Citizen Issue - 6th GOP Debate (Video)
Trump, the bombastic billionaire, remains atop the polls nationally but locked in a tight race with Cruz in Iowa. That's why Trump has been shivving Cruz on his constitutional eligibility, even though most legal scholars consider this another sideshow. Cruz was ready with a rejoinder questioning Trump's own qualifications.
"At the end of the day, the legal issue is quite straightforward," Cruz said calmly. He had prepared for this moment. After all, he didn't win national debating championships by happenstance. "But I would note that the birther theories that Donald has been relying on, some of the more extreme ones insist that you must not only be born on U.S. soil, but have two parents born on U.S. soil. Under that theory, not only would I be disqualified, Marco Rubio would be disqualified, Bobby Jindal would be disqualified and, interestingly enough, Donald J. Trump would be disqualified."
The moment caught Trump by surprise. "Not me!"
Oh, yes, you. A woman born in 1912, in some voters' minds, might be the thing that finally disqualifies frontrunner Trump from the most powerful office in the land
"Donald's mother was born in Scotland. She was naturalized," Cruz continued with the calm of a former Supreme Court lawyer, which he is.
"But I was born here. Big difference," Trump said, trying to set this attack back on track and stretching out the adjective as long as he could. "Big" became a very big word. He knew the clip was going to be a cable news favorite.
"On the issue of citizenship, Donald, I'm not going to use the issue of your mother's birth against you," Cruz said. It was a fantastic reminder that no white paper, no policy address can compete in the modern era of political campaigns with the snide dagger stabbed just below a rival's rib cage.
Watch the clip all the way through to see Cruz’ level of preparation. Trump tries to respond to Cruz’ ridicule of Trump and this issue by bringing up Laurence Tribe as his expert, a move which is known as a fallacy of authority: Trump isn’t making his own legal argument, but simply citing Tribe as an authority. Cruz springs the trap by explaining Tribe’s political affiliation and his support for Hillary Clinton. Cruz practically licked his chops waiting for Trump to slip on that banana peel.
Will this make any difference at all? Eh … doubtful. According to observers who might normally not want to credit Trump, he had a very good night otherwise. Cruz and Marco Rubio reportedly had excellent nights, too. At this stage, the candidates are probably too well adapted to the format — and voters too familiar with the candidates — to expect any real game-changers from the debates. But those who want to see strategy, preparation, and delivery might find themselves more impressed with Cruz.
With seven years of birther controversy discussed here on Free Republic, I never heard anyone say that natural born means you are born of two natural born citizens. Trump quoted Laurence Tribe for his position; Cruz quoted “Some say”.
It was always of born of two citizens, of which Trump was certainly born to.
This was a weaselly,lawyerly deflection by Cruz, and it did not work.
Even if it were true, Trump was born in America which Cruz was not.
Trump was born with one claim on his citizenship.
Cruz was born with three.
For a Constitutional expert, he muddied the waters for the sole purpose of deflecting from his own position.
Trump is correct, that Cruz’s eligibility will need to be sorted out, and the sooner the better.
For a Constitutional expert, he muddied the waters for the sole purpose of deflecting from his own position...
Bears repeating.
Are you going to post that on every thread tonight?
Are you going to post that on every thread tonight?
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Is it true that Donald Trump’s mother was a NATURAL BORN BRITISH CITIZEN who NEVER took the steps to have Great Britain rescind her British citizenship and thus had dual citizenship?
I worry about Trumps involvement over the years with so many FOREIGN women. That’s VERY creepy and strange.
Woodrow Wilson the 28th president had an American born father. His mother Jessie Woodrow was born in Carlisle, England. Some objections even then were raised as to the eligibility of Woodrow Wilson.
It was then established that on February 10th 1855. Congress had passed an act of derivative citizenship. (10 stat.604 section e). This meant that on marriage to an American citizen, his mother was then a citizen. He was born after this marriage.
Trump can breath easy.
Is the best you can do in support of Cruz to throw insults and half truths? Perhaps you could address how great Cruz is, unless of course he isn’t. In that case, I can understand your need to tear Trump down.
Duchess, what’s up with Trump’s many relationships with FOREIGN WOMEN over the years-—many from Eastern European countries formerly in the Soviet bloc?
And aren’t American women good enough for Trump? His fixation on FOREIGN WOMEN is CREEPY & OFF PUTTING.
Honey, I have no idea. I’m not his social secretary. Perhaps he likes their accent.
Your fixation on Trump’s wives is a little creepy.
Perhaps it’s their accents.
Are you dyslexic? The applicable statute was in effect in 1970.
The law in effect in 1970 made Ted Cruz a citizen.
Only the law in effect in 1790 would have made Ted Cruz “considered as” a natural born citizen.
The Supreme Court of the United States has never applied the term “natural born citizen” to any other category than “those born in the country of parents who are citizens thereof”
As I’ve learned more about this over the last few weeks, I can come to no other conclusion - which makes it all the more infuriating that the media never allowed this question to be raised with Obama. Whether he was born in Hawaii or not is irrelevant. His father was not a U.S. citizen. The only way Obama was a natural born citizen is if Frank Marshall Davis is his real father, as some people claim.
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